Salt Lake City-based EnergySolutions has worked hard to make its stockholders happy. The publicly traded firm has spent countless dollars to try to influence regulatory decisions, purchase politicians with campaign contributions and court public opinion through advertising campaigns, all in an attempt to expand its line of services and make a larger profit.

For most corporations, such ambition and acumen would be laudable. But EnergySolutions is in the business of disposing of the nation's low-level radioactive waste, and what's good for EnergySolutions is not necessarily good for Utahns, or for America.

The nuclear services company, which operates the country's only commercial low-level radioactive waste dump, has sued the state and a regional waste compact for the right to accept radioactive materials from overseas. It also supports rule changes to allow depleted uranium and blended waste at its disposal facility in Tooele County, developments that would enable the firm to accept materials that are arguably hotter than state law allows.

With that in mind, Utahns should be happy to learn that preliminary discussions have taken place between EnergySolutions and the U.S. Department of Energy that could result in the eventual federal ownership of the dump.

There are plenty of details that remain to be worked out, and plenty of questions to be answered before the public can pass judgment on the proposal. For example, would the government both own and operate the facility, or contract operations to EnergySolutions? But it's hard to imagine a scenario in which government ownership and control of radioactive waste disposal facilities would not be preferable to leaving this task to a commercial entity with a profit motive.

Many Americans prefer limited government. But radioactive waste disposal, like law enforcement and other key tasks that directly impact public health and safety, are best left in the hands of elected officials who answer directly to the nation's stockholders -- U.S. voters and taxpayers.

Federal control, while it would likely end the effort to import foreign waste, would not necessarily be a panacea for Utah. The feds could still decide to send depleted uranium and blended waste to the state. But, if nothing else, federal ownership would relieve the state of the long-term liability for the dump if the company were to fail and its $13 million perpetual-care fund for the facility proved to be insufficient.

Assuming that the nation will outlast the company, and acknowledging that radioactive waste disposal should be conducted without pressure to turn a profit or incentives to cut corners, federal ownership makes sense.